Construction of floors and the like.



F. w. EDLIN. (JONSTRUCTION OF FLOORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20,1916- Patented Jan. 30, 191?.

FREDERICK WILLIAM EDLIN, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

CONSTRUCTION OF FLGORS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jana 36 1911?,

Application filed January 20, 1916. Serial No. 78,252.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that l, Fnnonnrok WILLIAM Ennnv, a subject of the King of England, and resident of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the (ionstruction of Floors and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to floors, landings and like building structures composed of blocks of cement, concrete or the like, and the present invention has for its object to provide improvements in structures of this character. According to this invention each of the blocks has a cavity in each side face, with an overhanging part as the upper margin to the cavity, and with a lower flange of greater width than the upper flange; and a plurality of side blocks are secured together and constitute a beam by means of rods, which are arranged in and pass through the lower parts of the blocks and have their ends secured by means of nuts screwed thereon, or by cotters or like tightening devices.

The drawings annexed to the specification illustrate the invention.

In them Figure 1 is an end view of the blocks and beams, partly in section; Fig. 2 a side elevation of same according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the blocks. Fig. 3 is an end view showing blocks of slightly modified form used in the beams; and Fig. 4: shows another modified construction of block and element.

The blocks, of which each complete floor or like beam or member is comprised, are marked 1; and the metal ties 2.

3 are the recesses in the sides of the blocks, and 4 and 5 are upper and lower outwardly projecting flanges, respectively.

The ties 2 in the constructions shown are passed through the lower portions of the blocks, and on the outside of the end blocks of the beam or member a transverse bar or plate 6 is employed, through which the ends of the ties 2 are passed; and the blocks are all drawn up tight, end to end, and bound and tied together by nuts 7 screwed on to the ends of the bars; or by cotters passed through them, or equivalent fastening means.

When a number of blocks are all placed and threaded together, and tied by the ties 2, the tied beam or member thus made constitutes a species of girder; and can as such be slid or otherwise moved into position, in

one.

lln the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 2 the cavities 3 extend down to the holes in the blocks through which the ties 2 are passed, except at the end of the blocks; and thus the grouting which is filled into the spaces between the blocks, can pass down to the ties, and so they become properly enveloped and sealed with grouting; the holes being made larger than the ties to permit of the flow of grouting.

The recesses 3 form the keying spaces or cavities, and when filled with grouting, or the like, this grouting forms the key between the adjacent beams or elements, and also makes the whole structure practically one.

' The blocks are preferably hollow, and the depth or thickness of the top portion of them, which takes the compression stresses, is made of a depth to suit the stresses; while the tension stresses are taken by the ties 2, which are made of sufiicient strength to take them.

By this invention, in making floors, landings, or the like, no temporary centering, scaffolding, or other supporting means is necessary; and hence a great saving in the cost of building construction, and time, is attained.

The blocks are preferably made comparatively small 2'. e. such that can be easily handled, say for example, from 9 to 15 inches long by 9 to 15 inches broad, and of 3 to 18 inches deep; and hence, being small, they can be easily made, and stocked in various sizes, while they are being seasoned; and subsequently loaded for transit; and they do not require separate metallic reinforcing means or devices.

In Fig. 3, in the grouting in some of the cavities 3, there is shown some metal reinforcing bars 8; and the edges of the lower flanges of some of the blocks below the cavities 3, are of tongue and groove construction at 9. That is, the two adjacent lower flanges of the blocks are formed respectively with a tongue and groove, which interlock in adjacent blocks of the flooring, landing, or the like.

In Fig. 4 each of the blocks 1 has in it two or more bars 2 of steel or other metal, say one at each side, in a similar position to the bars 2 above described; and these bars at each end are bent round as shown, so as to form looped eyes 10; and in making up a beam or element, when the blocks are placed together end to end, a pin 11 is passed through the loop eyes of the adjacent blocks, the axis of which will be coincident, and so they are combined and linked up. These'tie links 2 are preferably introduced when the blocks are being made; and so that the links of the several blocks of which an element is made, shall be practically in line, when the blocks are assembled and connected together, the separate links in the blocks may be arranged slightly out of parallel with the sides of the blocks, but so that when the blocks are assembled, the ties will be in general alinement as a whole. The bottom of the blocks 1 in this case, at the meeting faces,

where the loops 10 and connection rods 11 come, are cut away as shown in the figure; and in assembling and fastening up the blocks, the adjacent ends of the blocks may be slightly tilted up, so that the loop eyes 10 of two sets of bars can be brought into the position in relation to each other, to enable the pins or bolts 11 to be easily threaded through them. As a slight modification of this form of tied block flooring, the ends of the bars 2 may be bent over as L shaped hooks, and in assembling these hooks will hook into one another, and so interconnect them.

In some cases, a single beam or member as described can be employed, as when used as astep or'steps, or a girder, or under like conditions.

While the invention has been described mainly as applied to parts of building construction subject to verticalloadsysuch as floors, landings, etcetera, it is to be understood that the invention can be also advantageously applied to concrete structures subject to horizontal stresses, such as walls of tanks, silos, and the like; in which case, the

parts of the tied block elements or members at which the ties 2 would be placed, would be on or toward the outside of the wall, and would take the tension stresses in the same way as they take it when the thrust is vertical, as in the case of a floor or landing.

Where the beams of blocks are used for the construction of walls, the beams are arranged one above the'other, and the openings between the narrow or previously described overhanging flanges are kept spaced apart by distance pieces to'enable grouting or cement to be introduced into the cavities, and the grouting or cement so introduced is retained therein until it is set by means of boards or the like.

What is claimed is 1. A building block provided on each opposite side face with an intermediate cavity.

forming at the ends two flanges provided with openings in alinement with said cavity, whereby tie rods passed through the openings support the blocks and grouting when placed in the cavity anchors the tie rod and block together.

'2. A building block provided on each opposite side face and above the bottom with an intermediate cavity forming at the ends two flanges provided with openings, the bottoms of said openings being in alinement with the bottom of the cavity, the lower edges of the block adjacent the cavities and flan es projecting outwardly beyond the vertica planes of the respective opposite side walls of the block.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WILLIAM EDLIN. 

